Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow Shoals water level

Name: Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow Shoals water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Kentucky River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

10.81ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 04:15 PM EDT (49 min ago)

Flow: 737 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow Shoals reads 10.81 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The level is falling, down 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 10.79 ft and 11.69 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 62° 35° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 69° 40° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 69° 42° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 70° 43° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 69° 43° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 71° 42° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 73° 44° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:49 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Kentucky River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kentucky River at Lock 14 at HeidelbergRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	4.9 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 12 near IrvineRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.92 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	8 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 11 near College HillRiver gauge, Kentucky River	615 cfs	Normal	−485.0 cfs	19 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 10 near WinchesterRiver gauge, Kentucky River	10.19 ft	Normal	−0.32 ft	31 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 9 at Valley ViewRiver gauge, Kentucky River	993 cfs	Normal	−277.0 cfs	37 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp NelsonRiver gauge, Kentucky River	12.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	42 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 7 at HighbridgeRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.40 ft	Below flood stage	−0.27 ft	51 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 6 near SalvisaRiver gauge, Kentucky River	1,460 cfs	Normal	−520.0 cfs	58 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 5 near TyroneRiver gauge, Kentucky River	1,370 cfs	Normal	−550.0 cfs	63 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 4 at FrankfortRiver gauge, Kentucky River	7.46 ft	Normal	−0.16 ft	71 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 3 at GestRiver gauge, Kentucky River	10.15 ft	Normal	−0.20 ft	80 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 2 at LockportRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	84 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sturgeon Creek at CressmontRiver gauge, Sturgeon Creek	4.1 cfs	Low	−0.8 cfs	7 mi
South Fork Kentucky River at BoonevilleRiver gauge, South Fork Kentucky River	3.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	12 mi
Middle Fork Kentucky River at TallegaRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	131 cfs	Normal	−35.0 cfs	14 mi
Red River at Clay CityRiver gauge, Red River	2.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	19 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at JacksonRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	1.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	25 mi
Red River near Hazel GreenRiver gauge, Red River	4.4 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	25 mi
Buckhorn Lake at BuckhornLake, Buckhorn Lake	782.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	27 mi

Questions and answers

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow Shoals today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:15 PM EDT, the water level was 10.81 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow Shoals rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow Shoals normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03282060 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.60189, -83.83336 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	10.81 ft	2026-10-20 20:15	Provisional
Flow	737 cfs	2026-10-20 20:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow Shoals (usgs:03282060). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/kentucky-river-at-lock-13-near-willow-shoals

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer